Feed the thousands and save food from landfill
We were inspired to hear about Chesham Community Fridges this month, an organisation which won in the Working Together category of our much-coveted Neighbourhood Awards.
You may have seen one advertised near you or tried it out yourself in a bid to save food from landfill. Community Fridges are popping up everywhere and doing so much good.Chesham’s Community Fridge was originally established with help from Hubbub, one of the first pioneers of the Community Fridge movement. They have a very helpful guide to setting up on their website. If you’re considering starting your own, here’s a brief overview of the things Hubbub say you should think about before you begin.
1. You’ll need an organisation to ‘lead’ your project (it can’t be an individual) so consider who that could be. It could be a church, local charity or other volunteer organisation. You’ll also need them to include the fridge on their liability insurance.
2. Consider contacting environmental health before you start for advice and to make sure you’re properly registered.
3. When seeking a location, look for somewhere covered and secure. An area with good footfall is best but as long as it’s accessible that’s the main thing.
4. Things you might want in your space (as well as the fridge) include: a freezer, shelves for dry food storage, bins for packaging and recycling, a table on which to sort out the bags, scales for weighing things, wall space for an information board. You could even have a herb garden if you have some outdoor space, too.
Find out more about Chesham Community Fridges, as well as our other Neighbourhood Awards winners, which include eco initiatives, community shops and craft collectives, in our March ‘Light’ issue, on sale now.
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